Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) waded into the House speakership spectacle, ripping Republicans’ attitudes as “unworthy of this institution.”
Pelosi declared that the House must be opened and proceed with its business, something that has been stalled due to the Republican power struggle that has prevented the new Congress from being sworn in.
FOUR KEY THINGS TO WATCH ON THIRD DAY OF CHAOTIC SPEAKER VOTE
“All who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body. Sadly, Republicans’ cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution. We must open the House and proceed with the People’s work,” Pelosi tweeted late Wednesday.
All who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body.
Sadly, Republicans’ cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution.
We must open the House and proceed with the People’s work.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 5, 2023
Earlier in the day, the House held three rounds of voting in which aspiring Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to clinch a majority as a band of about 20 dissidents sought further concessions from him.
McCarthy offered to have the Republican-aligned political action committee, the Congressional Leadership Fund, not interfere in open Republican primaries, lower the threshold for a vote to oust a speaker, and allow more members of the Freedom Caucus on the House Rules Committee, according to CNN.
In order to win a majority to become speaker, McCarthy needs to move 17 of the Republican holdouts to get to the 218-vote threshold. Two of them — Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN) — previously voted in favor of him during the proceedings on Tuesday but switched their votes after seeing he didn’t have a clear pathway. McCarthy’s failure marked the first time since 1923 that the first round of voting yielded no speaker.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Meanwhile, some observers and members of Congress have pondered whether the GOP will cut a deal with Democrats. Presumptive House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has consistently earned a fully united 212 votes from his fellow Democrats to become speaker. Voting on the speakership is set to continue until a breakthrough is reached.
Pelosi is stepping down as the No. 1 House Democrat after nearly 20 years in the perch and having served as the first female speaker in United States history.
